Vibration damper assembly

Abstract

A vibration damper assembly for damping non-synchronous vibration between adjacent, spaced apart components comprises a vibration damper located in both of a pair of generally confronting passages in each of the components. The assembly comprises at least two spaced apart articulation surfaces for contact between damper and component, each of the articulation surfaces is arcuate in a first direction and is characterized by having a substantially linear portion in an orthogonal and second direction. Thereby the contact area is greatly enlarged and material loss minimized. The cross-sectional shape of the damper or passage is non-circular and there is a clearance between the damper and passage sufficiently small to prevent rotation of the damper in the passage during use.

1. A vibration damper assembly, having a longitudinal x-axis and mutually perpendicular y and z-axes, for damping non-synchronous vibration between adjacent, spaced apart components, the assembly comprising:
 a vibration damper located in both of a pair of generally confronting passages, one of the pair of generally confronting passages being provided in each of the adjacent spaced apart components; and 
 at least two spaced apart articulation surfaces for contact between the vibration damper and the adjacent components, each of the articulation surfaces: i) being arcuate along the x-axis, and ii) being substantially linear along the y-axis, wherein a dimension of the vibration damper aligned with the x-axis is greater than each dimension of the vibration damper aligned with the y and z-axes. 
 
     
     
       2. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein at least one of the articulation surfaces is formed by the vibration damper. 
     
     
       3. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the vibration damper comprises a neck portion having a minimum cross-sectional area and on either side of the neck portion there are two head portions, each having a maximum cross-sectional area, wherein the two head portions define the at least two spaced apart articulation surfaces. 
     
     
       4. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 3  wherein at least one of the two head portions comprises a tapering portion. 
     
     
       5. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the neck portion comprises a generally varying cross-sectional area. 
     
     
       6. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein at least one of the articulation surfaces is formed by one of the adjacent components in one of the confronting passages. 
     
     
       7. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the vibration damper has a contact surface, the contact surface having a generally constant cross-sectional area. 
     
     
       8. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is an articulation surface formed on the damper and an articulation surface formed by one of the adjacent components in the confronting passages. 
     
     
       9. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein a cross-sectional shape of the vibration damper or the confronting passages is non-circular and there is a clearance between the vibration damper and confronting passages that is sufficiently small to prevent rotation of the vibration damper in the confronting passages during use. 
     
     
       10. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein a cross-sectional shape of the vibration damper or confronting passages is polygonal. 
     
     
       11. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the cross-sectional shape of the vibration damper or confronting passages is rectangular. 
     
     
       12. The vibration damper assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the adjacent components are adjacent blades of an annular array, mounted to a disc in a gas turbine engine.